Sustainable nano-sodium silicate and silver nitrate impregnated locally made ceramic filters for point-of-use water treatments in sub-Sahara African households.

The poor access to water quality for Nigerians has pushed for the designing of new trend silver nitrate impregnated locally made Point-Of-Use (POU) ceramic filters to enhance water purification efficiency for household use. This study utilized silver nitrate-molded ceramic filters prepared with Kaolin from Owode, silt soil, sodium silicate, sawdust, and distilled water in three varying proportions to ascertain pollution removal efficiencies. Heating was carried out by firing the filters at 900 °C and further preheating at 400 °C after dipping in silver nitrate solution. Silver nanoparticle and dissociated particle discharge from filter pot painted with 0.03 mg/g casein-covered nAg or AgNO3 were estimated as an element of pH (5-9), ionic strength (1-50mM), and cation species (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+). Silver delivery was constrained by disintegration as Ag+ and resulting cation exchange measures, paying little heed to silver structure applied. Water analysis for both heavy metals (Pb and Cd) and microbial load (E. coli) evaluated, corroborate the maximum removal efficiency. It was observed that kaolin-sawdust with the Silver nitrate filters showed a constant and effective removal of both heavy metals and disinfection of microbial loads. The minimum flow rates observed were 4.97 mL/min for batch filter used for Iju River water sample one (AF1) and 4.98 mL/min for batch filter used for Iju River water sample two (AF2) having porosity 49.05% and 50.00%, whereas the 5 mL/min higher flow rate was used for batch filter from borehole water sample one (BF1) and batch filter used for well water sample two (CF2) with porosity of 50.00%. Significantly, the results obtained show that the filters are suitable for point-of-use application in both the urban and rural areas of developing countries such as Nigeria.

Bibliometric analysis of the research landscape on rice husks gasification (1995-2019).

The processing of rice (Oryza sativa L.) generates large quantities of lignocellulosic wastes termed rice husks (RH). Numerous researchers have proposed biomass gasification as the panacea to the waste disposal and management challenges posed by RH. However, a comprehensive analysis of RH gasification is required to examine the research landscape and future directions on the area. The research landscape and global developments on RH gasification from 1995 to 2019 are examined through bibliometric analysis of 228 publications extracted from the Web of Science. Bioresource Technology is considered the most influential journal on the topic, whereas China is the most productive nation due to government policies and research funding. The most productive organization is the Harbin Institute of Technology, which is due to the significant contributions of Zhao YiJun and co-workers. Keyword analysis revealed three crucial research themes: gasification, biomass, and rice husks. The literature revealed that the syngas yield, distribution, and performance of RH gasification are significantly influenced by temperature, equivalence ratio, selected reactor, and gasifying medium. The techno-economic analysis of RH gasification revealed that government interventions such as high sales rates and low investment costs could enhance the commercial viability of the technology. Furthermore, the integration of RH gasification with carbon capture utilization and storage could promote the decarbonization of power plants, negative emissions, and net-zero climate goals. Overall, the paper provides valuable information for future researchers to identify strategic collaborators, journal publications, and research frontiers yet unexplored.

Uncovering the dynamics in global carbon dioxide utilization research: a bibliometric analysis (1995-2019).

The anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere is recognized as the main contributor to global climate change. To date, scientists have developed various strategies, including CO2 utilization technologies, to reduce global carbon emissions. This paper presents the global scientific landscape of the CO2 utilization research from 1995 to 2019 based on a bibliometric analysis of 1875 publications extracted from Web of Science. The findings indicate a major increase in the number of publications and citations received from 2015 to 2019, denoting a fast-emerging research trend. The dynamics of global CO2 utilization research is partly driven by China's policies and research funding to promote low-carbon economic development. Applied Energy is recognized as a core journal in this research topic. The utilization of CO2 is a multidisciplinary topic that has progressed by multidimensional collaborations at the country and organizations levels, while the formation of co-authorship networks at the individual level is mostly influenced by the authors' affiliations. Keyword co-occurrence analysis reveals a rapid evolution in the CO2 utilization strategies from chemical fixation in carbonates and epoxides to pilot-scale testing of power-to-gas technologies in Europe and the USA. The development of efficient power-to-fuel technologies and biological utilization routes (using microalgae and bacteria) will probably be the next research priorities in CO2 utilization research.